Question for the ladies about girly shoes
It has now been 23 weeks since my ATR (22 since surgery).
I have been two shoes for 17 weeks, and was released from PT two months ago.
I am lucky enough to work in an environment that allows me to wear my tennis shoes all day. Although my foot does get stiff, and my tendon needs a bit of stretching in the morning, I think I am doing really well and have no visible limp.
I wore heels tonight for the first time since ‘the incident’. They were about 1 1/2 inches, had a very thick base, and I only had them on for a couple of hours (total walking time was about 15 minutes). Walking in them made me feel like I had no muscle in my calf and I really had to concentrate on not limping. (I won’t even mention the back of the shoe rubbing on my scar - that just can’t be helped.)
Now, my foot and ankle are swollen to the point that I can barely rotate my foot, and I am having cramps in my calf.
I am so tired of wearing tennis shoes everywhere, and want to dress like a girl again.
How long did it take for you other ladies to be able to wear heels comfortably?
Thanks - Joan
on October 11th, 2012 at 10:22 pm
Hey Joan! Great question! I await responses from others. I am in the market for shoes in the next few weeks. I have a anniversary conference that I will host the first week of November and my purple and white tennis shoes already cramp my fashion style every day. I just try not to look at my feet throughout the day! I pray your foot is doing better! Blessings!
on October 15th, 2012 at 2:02 am
Hi Joan…It takes awhile but be patient. Get different shoes and different heights. Make sure they are all comfortable. You will find the foot with ATR surgery will be thicker for awhile. Massage does help…if you can get it..do it. It’s been to make sure you did all your rehab. That’s critical. Continue to stretch Anchilles and the calf takes awhile to come back…I am experiencing charley horses regularly in the mornings mostly before I get out of bed. My muscle in calf slowly coming back and it’s been 1 1/2 yrs for me! My foot is still numb! I can wear heels though…Not doing too bad in them but I wish it was 100%. Feels more like 75%
on October 15th, 2012 at 3:03 am
Hi, I’m new and I’d like to know how your experience after Achilles heel surgery was. I have fibromyalgia which makes all pain way worse. I am no good with crutches and we have two stories. Upstairs bedrooms & bathrooms. Downstairs, living room, bathroom and kitchen. From what I’ve heard I cannot put any weight on it for at least 5 weeks. I am too unsteady with crutches so I worry about getting to the bathroom, or if we set me up downstairs in the living room getting to the kitchen and bathroom. I want to have something other than crutches, I’ve heard there are more things than crutches. Also, I’m concerned about pain management because with Fibro, after surgery I am in over the top scary pain. I’m just wondering if you can share with me the first 5 weeks of your recovery pain wise and or getting around the house without crutches.
on October 15th, 2012 at 7:22 pm
Lorip - I’m sorry that you feel so much pain.
I am lucky to have a very high pain tolerance, and didn’t have any pain at all when I ruptured my AT.
I only took pain meds for three days after surgery and didn’t feel anything other than sore and stiff. (Although my calf did cramp up in the middle of the night when it was in the hard cast).
Some people have used a knee scooter to get around, and seem to find it very helpful - I just used the crutches.
I did find myself scooting around on my behind to do things like clean the floors and go up and down stairs. It wasn’t very dignified, but it did get the job done.
I wasn’t allowed to put any weight at all on my foot for six to seven weeks after surgery. I know that right now that seems like forever to you - but you will get through it.
Good luck - Joan
on October 16th, 2012 at 12:49 am
Lori, if you’re still pre-op, you might want to discuss going non-op with your Doc (or a second-opinion Doc), based on the latest studies, all done since 2007. The most recent was “UWO”, done at Canada’s University of Western Ontario, published 2010. The full text of the study is available on this site, linked from the “studies and protocols. . .” page that you can find near the top left of the Main Page. Going non-op eliminates the pain of the surgery and the initial post-op period, which is usually much more painful than the ATR or any other part of the recovery. There are other potentially painful parts of rehab, like breaking up scar tissue, e.g. with aggressive (painful) Graston massage, that are also largely absent from the non-op side of things. The results are close enough to be statistically indentical, and the modern non-op rehab protocols will get you off crutches faster than most post-op patients around here (though they could and should go just as fast). For example, instead of not putting any weight on it for 5 weeks, the UWO study’s protocol had all their patients starting Partial Weight Bearing at TWO weeks, and FULL weight bearing (”as tolerated”) at FOUR weeks — with or without surgery!
The best substitute for crutches, IMHO, is getting off them and Weight Bearing as soon as possible!
(There’s lots more on op vs. non-op on my blog pages.)
Most crutch substitutes (like knee scooters) can’t handle stairs, though the ones that are more like prosthetic legs (like the ones that South African Olympian used) can do stairs, though they may be scary. There are stair-walking lifts, but I think they all need major investment and major installation at home. Or crutches, or sliding on your bum. Especially if you’ve got a good strong banister on the same side as your ATR (facing downstairs), and your upper body strength is decent, you should be able to go DOWN stairs pretty easily with both crutches in your other hand, leaning heavily on the banister. Alas, it doesn’t seem to work going UP stairs.
Good luck!
on October 16th, 2012 at 11:07 am
Lorip. My surgery was in May. I used wheelchair for 8 weeks and foot never touched the ground. Then on to boot then on to brace. I could so anything in the wheel chair. My son built a ramp. I would go out of the door backwards, down the ramp with the brake on. Head to my garage and then quilt on my longarm frame by hopping up to and getting on a bar stool, not fun but got the job done. A week ago they had to re-open the scar, remove the screw that had come lose and clean everything out. I am completely off my foot for 4 more weeks. This time I got a knee scooter and I do not like it as well as the wheelchair. I was blessed my son built us a ramp or I would be doing stairs on my rump. I could not do crutchers or walker, my balance was no good. I just tell myself this too will pass.
on October 26th, 2012 at 12:53 pm
I haven’t had my surgery yet - next week, but I was wondering if an open back shoe would make a difference?
on October 26th, 2012 at 8:35 pm
Lorip- I had surgery two weeks ago. I was in pain to begin with. I was off pain meds for almost s week but now take one at night. This is because starting Monday I started being able to put my food down while using my crutches and I have exercises to move my foot. I also started working again this week. I have a desk job but it is draining me. I keep my foot on a chair but it is not above my heart. My doctor said I would start therapy next week. I don’t see why you have to be off it for five weeks. I used an office chair on wheels to help me get around. It helped me be able to pick up the house do laundry and go from one place to another more easily. I would set up shop downstairs for the first couple of weeks.
on October 27th, 2012 at 10:54 pm
Hey Joan, I”d be really interested to see how you go too! I’m 10 weeks post-op walking in two shoes, doing PT and taking it easy, but working really hard on getting more flex etc. Starting to loose the limp, but it takes time. DREAMING of wearing heels again, but don’t feel at all confident yet…I know it will probably be a while yet.
I would love to hear from other ladies about heels too? What stage/weeks post-op etc? Any tips on height of heel or how to wear them….?
Good luck Joan and Happy healing!
Emm
on October 28th, 2012 at 8:01 am
I have been making a conscious effort to wear different types of shoes throughout the week.
I never realized how I walk and stand differently in every type of shoe. Dress shoes have no spring in the sole (like my running shoes), so I have to work twice as hard and push off with my toes to walk normally.
My leg feels like it’s old self in the running shoes that I bought when learning to walk again. No weakness, no limp.
But, the first time I put on my Doc Martins, I felt like I had no muscle tone at all. I am wearing these full time now and getting better at walking in them because I am building up the muscles that it takes to push off with my toes.
Last week I bought a new pair of heels (1.5 inches and an entire size larger than before the ATR) and was pretty comfortable for the 5 hours I was in them. Again, it felt like there was no muscle in my leg at all and that I was dragging my bad leg around.
As for the heels that I had before? Forget it, unless they are open backs, and less than 1.5 inches.
The backs rub so badly on my scar that I would end up bleeding within 15 minutes. And any shoes that I have over 1.5 inches, have thin heels that would easily cause my ankle to teeter, sway and eventually buckle.
It’s a good thing that there are plenty of cute shoes in the stores to choose from.
Right now, at 23 weeks post ATR, my magic numbers are 1.5 inches and a size larger than before.
Joan